Thank you all. It makes me feel less alone to be able to share this with people who might understand.
Portia, that is a great idea. Very good example. Tricky, yes, with a middle schooler. But that makes me remember a time I chaperoned an activity and what the interactions were like. I'll think of another way to chaperone something. He definitely feels threatened, but cannot (or won't) articulate why.
Indigo, I do think they are related, especially wrt sensitivity, perfectionism, and lack of challenge. He's explicitly said he is not working hard because the lessons are not new material, and tedious. And this is my curious kid whose face lights up when he learns anything new; not a "bored" kid.
